China must strive to improve WTO rules (3)

Second, our biggest advantage is not being the top exporter but our position as the world's second-largest importer and biggest recipient of foreign direct investment. We can follow suit in using rule defects and loopholes to overcome trade and investment protectionist measures against China rather than encouraging these actions.

Third, China should improve its handling of trade disputes, and the most important step it can take in this regard is to continue with reform and opening-up and to stick to the market economy.

A greater similarity in economic structure and a deeper inter-dependence in mutual markets will reduce trade disputes between China and its partners.

The author is deputy director of the China Institute for WTO Studies at the University of International Business and Economics in Beijing.